A series of articles on how to identify and manage some common invasive species on Salt Spring Island written by Jean Wilkinson, Stewardship Committee, Salt Spring Island Conservancy.

OH THE HOLLY AND THE IVY….

English Holly and Ivy are often used in traditional Christmas decorations and wreaths, but the plants are very aggressive invaders in North America. They seriously threaten our native forests and can overwhelm indigenous vegetation.We’ll focus on Ivy in January, but this month, why not go out and gather (not buy!) boughs of holly to “deck the halls” for the holiday season? If you don’t have a holly tree on your property, there are many in the local parks and woods. The berries are toxic to humans, so keep them out of reach of young children. Later, when you’re finished with the decorations, place the berries (which contain seeds) in a plastic bag and dispose carefully in the garbage. By removing holly from the local environment you will reduce its spread and impact on native species, all the while gathering invasive, free greenery to decorate your home! Please don’t purchase or plant English Holly and please consider replacing any you may already have with non-invasive alternatives.